Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-12-23
LLZZlA'S STORY.
BY 4. URBAN EvEHErTE.

One evening as the sun sunk low be-
hind the hills that bounded the pros
pect from my fathers house, J. saw Ed
win Merriam, the young Methodist
minister, coming up the path between
the tall rows Of dahlias and antemisias.
| was inclined to run away and hide
myself, but that display of cowardice
would in no way serve me; so twisted
the ring 1 wore--one that Edwin had
given me-around upon my finger, and
kept my place among The honey
sucklcs. And he walked along up the
path, and stopped only when he stood
beside me.
"What is this hear about you, Lizzie
kendall?" he asked
"How should know" said 1.
They tell ME that Ned Fuller comes
to see you every evening"" he said.
They say you have promised to marry
him."
They are fond Of telling things"
said I. GLOW do they know and who
are they?"
II want an answer. Every one
knows that you and Iknew each others
mind year ago" said lie.
Il do not think knew NINE" said I,
coldly, "if that was So"
"lhen you mean to jilt me-to break
with me?"
He fourished his hands in the air. his
face grew red; he seemed very disa-
greealle tc me at the moment, and
said, shortly, "Since we have never
been engaged, Mr.. Merriam, you can
scarcely say it that, i have Broken
with you, as you call it."
"You wear my ring!" said he, We
hemently.
Gust for fun. [ have worn many a
ring just because some one asked me.
Why, Mr.. Merriam. you know very
little of our ways here in Bristol. A
ring need not be an engagement ring
because a girl puts it on for month
or So"
"You were willing to think mine so
until Ned Fuller came" said he.
1 WINGED. / knew that was true.
But when l thought of following a
Methodist minister from place to place
here one year, there the next--and
then remembered all the advantages of
Mrs Fuller; when saw Edwin waving
his arms about as if he was delivering
a lecture, and thought of Ned Fullers
soft manners and elegant dress, I drove
away all thoughts that made me ready
to go to Edwin and say, Forgive me. I"
you were bound to me in honor
and by feeling" he said. "Dont say
you never loved me-never knew L
loved you, for that would be false
"You are most impertinent, sir!"
said /. II shall go in and leave you if
you are going to talk like that" and I
laid the ring I.had already taken from
my finger on the railing of the porch,
and left him alone there.
He had spoken the simple truth and
I had uttered falsehood; for though
actual arrangements for our marriage
had not been made, he had q right to
think 7 loved hin,-a right to consider
me as engaged to him. 1 had thought
over and over again what I should say
or do to get him to give me up, and
now was my chance. had done it. Tt
is not so wicked thing as to marry
without love, thought.
I remembered again Edwins stiff
coat, not too new; his hair worn longer
than the fashion; his grave face and
the flush excitement gave it. Mr.. Full
Ter was smooth and elegant. and had
the ways of fashionable man.
10 be sure his cousins did not conde-
scend to notice me, nor did he intro
duce them. He looked askance at the
table when my father asked him to
"take bite of dinner" at MONDAY and
replied that he had "just breakfasted."
All the young men in the place felt
that he took on airs" but OILY saw
superior elegance, taste. and discrimi.
nation. though I was inclined to hate
his cousins most heartily when passing
their. fine carriage on the road, and I
knew they Uttered at mothers bonnet,
which was old fashioned.